"Trigger, am I dreaming...?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
Trigger turned toward Soldier 11 with confusion, but then her expression froze as she sucked in a sharp breath.
"Ow! What the hell was that for?!"
She winced, rubbing her side and glaring at Soldier 11. "Why did you just pinch me out of nowhere?!"
"If it hurts, then I'm not dreaming..."
Soldier 11 rubbed her eyes. From Trigger's reaction, she could confirm—this was reality.
Hard to accept, but true.
Zane was actually about to become her commanding officer!
She looked up at him. Just thinking about that smile behind the mask left her feeling all sorts of complicated.
"What? If you wanted to check if you were dreaming, why not pinch yourself?! I'm the one who felt it—how would you even know?"
Trigger stood up with hands on her hips, glaring at Soldier 11.
"I could tell. Your reaction confirmed it."
Soldier 11 replied calmly. Trigger pursed her lips, the sweet taste of candy in her mouth helping her focus as she followed 11's gaze.
What could've made her question reality?
"Zan—uh... Fire... uh…"
Trigger gasped instinctively, then froze, realizing her choice of title was... problematic. She hesitated, but couldn't come up with a better one.
Not that it mattered anymore.
"What is he doing here?"
Noticing people starting to stare, Trigger quickly crouched back down and whispered to Soldier 11.
"Didn't you hear just now?"
"Even if you missed it, isn't it obvious? Major Xin's introducing him, and that pilot's going on about his fight with Nineveh..."
Soldier 11 glanced at her, lips tight. The whole thing still felt surreal.
A complete 180—turning from enemy Ethereal into a Staff Army officer?
Was there anything more absurd?
"Obvious? This setup..."
Trigger blinked, trying to process it. When it hit her, her eyes shot wide open and locked onto the figure standing beside Major Xin.
"Wait, weren't we using this guy to find an opening? How did he end up as an officer?!"
"How should I know? You're asking me?"
Soldier 11 looked outwardly calm, but inside, she was already dead inside.
Revenge? She'd put that aside for now. But now? No strength, and soon—no status.
A certain phrase echoed in her head:
The Obol Squad never yields...
"So what now? Just pretend we don't know anything? Keep his identity hidden?"
"This guy's unpredictable. Who knows what he'll do now that he's an officer. And hey—he seems to like you, so why don't you handle him from now on…"
Trigger rambled, airing her concerns. Soldier 11 just sighed quietly to herself.
So what if they gave in? It wasn't the end of the world...
...
While Soldier 11 and Trigger were lost in thought, one of the four pilots up front was passionately retelling what he had witnessed.
"At that moment, His Excellency, The Fool raised his longbow and fired—an arrow that pierced Nineveh's core, sending her crashing from the sky..."
"The Fool" was the alias Xin had given Zane.
The pilot continued, speaking clearly and dramatically—clearly handpicked by Xin for this.
"You've said a lot, but we didn't see it ourselves. It's just not the same."
One man with a mechanical arm stepped forward from the Obol Squad, eyes calmly fixed on Zane and Xin.
"Yeah, just hearing about it doesn't quite cut it."
A woman nearby with a long spear also looked toward Zane, offering a small smile as she spoke.
Soon, more voices echoed in agreement. Xin wasn't surprised—this was exactly what she'd expected.
"What, you don't believe me?"
The pilot shrugged, playing along.
"Of course we do. But... it's tradition, you know?"
The pilot sighed and nodded. As they said—regardless of strength, you had to see it with your own eyes.
"How about it? Feel like showing off a little?"
Xin turned to Zane with a light smile.
"I don't mind putting on a show, but I'm curious—did you get in the same way?"
Zane looked at her, eyes filled with curiosity. She didn't exactly scream 'combat expert.'
"Huh? Haha, you really think that?"
Xin laughed, amused. She waved a hand, grinning.
"Just because I've never shown you my moves, you think I can't fight?"
"Listen, if I really went all out—"
"Then forget them. Wouldn't it be better if I just fought you?"
Zane's voice cut her off mid-sentence, so sudden and close it made her freeze. She gave an awkward laugh, quickly turning back to the crowd.
"Alright then! Obol Squad, talk it over with His Excellency, The Fool. Freestyle's fine—whatever you decide."
She stepped back a few paces. When she noticed Zane's teasing look, she rolled her eyes with a huff.
Then, one of the Obol Squad members spoke up.
"So, Your Excellency, the Fool—how do you want to handle this?"
Zane withdrew his gaze from Xin and turned toward the crowd, calmly spreading his hands.
"Since you said freestyle, then let's go freestyle. Keeps things simple."
No rules. No restrictions. No explanations.
The soldiers exchanged glances, understanding his intent instantly. Many of them straightened up with more seriousness.
After all, the Staff Army was the elite of the Defense Forces, and the Obol Squad was its top combat unit.
This was a gathering of powerhouses.
And this guy... the one who seriously injured Nineveh?
This setup fit him perfectly.
But it only made them more eager to see for themselves.
Was the Fool really as powerful as that pilot claimed?
As Zane finished speaking, threads of icy and fiery energy began swirling around him...